


One Sweet Moment

by admiralandrea



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 12:10:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14568741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/admiralandrea/pseuds/admiralandrea
Summary: This is one regret that Callen can fix





	One Sweet Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate ending for S6 ep 12 "Spiral". Not beta'd, all mistakes are mine.

A slight movement from the bed caught Sam’s attention and he looked up from the chart the doctor was showing him to see that Callen’s eyes were open and he was looking around, clearly assessing the location and whether there was any danger. Sam thanked the doctor, who smiled and left the room. It seemed her prediction that Callen should wake up any time was spot on.

“Where am I?” Callen asked as Sam moved closer to the bed.

“Druid Hills, Georgia, home of the CDC,” Sam told him.

Callen pulled a face. “Last thing I remember is seeing Hetty and being sure I wasn’t going to make it this time.”

Sam had thought the same and it had left a hollow in the pit of his stomach that was only now easing. “Turns out they had an antidote,” he said. “But they kept it quiet.”

“Right, can’t sell a bio weapon, if there’s an antidote,” Callen agreed.

Sam smiled, pleased to see that Callen’s brain was as agile as ever. “So how you doing?” he asked, perching on the edge of the bed.

“Thinking about regrets,” Callen told him. “I was regretting letting you sing in the car, telling you I liked your tuna surprise and that I gave up on looking for my father.” He pulled a hand from beneath his blankets and held it out to Sam, who took it willingly. “But most of all, I regret never having told you I love you.”

When Sam started to speak, Callen raised his other hand. “Let me finish?” he asked, so Sam nodded and allowed him to continue. “You say it to me all the time,” Callen said. “And I always believed that you knew that I felt the same way, but I just couldn’t say it. Then I realized that isn’t fair to you. Not telling you is wrong. You deserve to have a partner who can say those words back to you. I know that what we have is strong and saying those three words doesn’t change anything, but hearing it and knowing it isn’t the same as just believing that I feel the same way. So Sam Hanna, I love you and I’m with you for as long as you’ll have me. But so help me, if you burst into song right now, I will hit you.”

Sam laughed, because Callen had read his expression all too well. That had been in danger of turning mushy, trust Callen to turn a tender moment into a threat of violence.

“I love you too, G,” was all he said and he leaned forward to give his partner a soft kiss, needing it after the last two weeks. “Just promise me no more poisonings, okay, because three is more than enough for any one person to go through.”

Callen smirked at him. “I promise to try not to get poisoned again,” he said. “But I’m not responsible for what the bad guys – or girls – choose to do.”

Sam sighed, but had to concede the point. And truthfully, every single time, Callen had been saving lives and protecting others. Just didn’t mean Sam had to like it though. A tap on the door saved him from having to admit the truth to what his partner said, as the door opened to reveal the return of the doctor. 

“I’m afraid we need to run a few tests,” she told them and Callen groaned.

Sam chuckled. “Guess that’s my cue to leave,” he said. “I’ll go phone Eric and he can give the others the good news.”

Callen pouted, but gave a short nod. “See you later, Big Guy,” he agreed. “Tell the others I said hi.”

Sam nodded, patted his leg and headed out the door, feeling lighter than he had for two weeks. He had his partner back and hopefully before too much longer they’d be going back home. The declaration Callen had given him was an unexpected but welcome bonus and Sam would have to think up a creative way for rewarding his partner for that bit of emotional honesty. It would keep him busy until he could get back into Callen’s room and talk to him again.


End file.
